Prom season is here, and as high schoolers prepare for the annual rite of passage, many are forgoing the traditional wrist corsage in favor of handheld bouquets. While not a new trend for some regions of the country, more and more florists are endorsing the change because it requires less labor, and sometimes, creates more profit.

“It’s a huge relief, especially having so many other flower friends in the industry who do hundreds and hundreds of wristlets — and I see the labor involved,” says Tina Davis, AIFD, CFD, ICPF, owner of Blythe Flowers in Ottawa, Illinois. “Plus, with some of the bouquets, you’re getting a bit more sale out of it.”

In Edmond, Oklahoma, Lenzee Bilke, AIFD, started to notice a shift in orders about two years ago. The co-owner of Madeline’s Flower Shop said customers started asking for bouquets similar to what they’d seen on social media.

“At first, I think it was a select group of girls,” says Bilke. “I noticed it’s just more and more girls carrying them now.”

Many of the mothers who place orders have said they want bouquets for the pre-prom photos. Sometimes, the bouquets are left at home after the photos are taken. Bilke says a small percentage of customers order a wrist corsage as well so they can still have flowers at the dance.

In Carlinville, Illinois, bouquets have long been the go-to. Sarah LoBue, AIFD, owner of Main Street Florist, carried a bouquet to her own prom in 2002.

“In our small town, we have a big promenade,” says LoBue. “You basically walk the red carpet into prom. That’s your time to shine.”

Less Labor

For the floral designer, a shift toward prom bouquets can be a welcome one.

“Handheld bouquets are way less labor-intensive than wrist corsages,” says Davis. “Wrist corsages require a lot more prep work before the floral components are even used.”

Designers at Main Street Florist prepare as much of the wrist corsage as possible long before the fresh flowers arrive. The unfinished pieces are stacked in plastic containers. In the days leading up to prom, designers attach the flower heads.

Chris Pesot, sales manager at Matlack Florist in West Chester, Pennsylvania, where prom bouquet orders surpassed corsages more than 10 years ago, says there’s another benefit to bouquets.

“The designers feel they have more creative freedom with the handheld,” says Pesot. “We base the handhelds on the dress color and keep them designers’ choice based on a color preference.”

Some customers do request more personalized bouquets, asking for specific flowers or greenery, Bilke says.

“We do a lot of custom ones that the girls come in and they’ve seen a picture on social media: they want roses and ranunculus and succulents,” she says.

Matlack’s customers often bring photos of wedding bouquets, which the shop can scale down to a more manageable size. But not all as-seen-on-social-media bouquet requests can be filled exactly as posted, she says.

“One of the biggest hurdles for us is that they are finding images of faux flowers on sites such as Etsy,” says Pesot. “The flowers, colors, and pricing of the images are not achievable with fresh floral product. We do not typically dye or spray flowers, so it can be difficult for us to match their inspiration photos. This becomes an educational moment with our client as we help manage their expectations.”

Similar Profits

Prom bouquets require less labor than wrist corsages, but the profit margins are similar, says LoBue. While wrist corsages have a lot of little pieces, most of the cost comes from the labor. Bouquets, on the other hand, are made almost entirely of fresh products. Although the labor cost is lower because they can be assembled in minutes, the fresh product is more expensive.

The cost doesn’t deter customers, who pay more for bouquets than corsages. Main Street Florist sells wrist corsages for $45 to $55, whereas prom bouquets are usually $75 to $95.

Matlack not only considers the cost of the fresh flowers used, but also the specificity of the order.

“The more specific a client is about the floral choice, style, color, or size, the higher the price of the handheld, as we know that they will be our harder-to-please clients,” Pesot says.

No matter the customer’s costs, the profit margins on corsages and bouquets are similar, Pesot says.

“The big difference is that the handhelds are a higher ticket item than the corsages, so overall the return is better for handhelds,” she says.

Laurie Herrera is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.